Google ends Chromecast-Netflix promotion 'due to overwhelming demand'

Citing overwhelming demand, Google on Thursday said it has ended a Netflix promotion tied to its new Chromecast TV dongle.

The promotion gave users, new and existing, three free months of Netflix's video streaming service, valued at about $24, when they bought Chromecast, a $35 gadget that was announced Wednesday.

Chromecast is a device that lets users send video and audio content from their smartphones, tablets and laptops to their TVs. The device is plugged into the TV through an HDMI port and pulls content from the cloud by connecting to Wi-Fi.

"Due to overwhelming demand for Chromecast devices since launch, the 3-month Netflix promotion (which was available in limited quantities) is no longer available," Google told The Times in a statement.

Partly because of the Netflix promotion, Chromecast has been selling fast. Both Amazon.com and BestBuy.com sold out of the device by Thursday morning (BestBuy.com is selling the device again). The device can be purchased from the Google Play online store, but it has a shipping wait time of three to four weeks.

Chromecast is being regarded as a challenger to the popular Apple TV, which normally retails for $99.

The Google device will be available at all Best Buy stores this Sunday.

[Update 4:30 p.m. July 25: Google clarified that users who purchased Chromecast before the promotion ran out will still be able to redeem their Netflix promotion code for three free months of the video streaming service.]